ABSTRACT Micro-CT has become an indispensable research tool for bone biology. In addition, it has become an important tool for other disciplines, including vascular biology, aging research, and neuroscience. The existing system at Augusta University has come to the end of its serviceable life span. It may permanently stop working at any time, threatening to halt a large number of studies, most of which are funded by the NIH. The S10 mechanism is the only option available to us to obtain a new system. Augusta University has an active group of investigators with major focus in skeletal biology. In this proposal, a group of investigators with well-established research programs and active NIH support have documented their need for the new micro-CT system. The bone imaging core at AU has been established over the past eight years, with a reputation for technical efficiency and scientific integrity, reflected by the number of manuscripts published in reputable journals and successful grant awards. The collective expertise in micro- CT technology at AU, which has largely compensated for the significant limitations of the existing system, will ensure that the new system will be utilized to its full potential and well maintained. The new system will also provide needed support to early stage investigators at AU, as well as catalyze more collaborations and serve as an attractive feature for recruiting more faculty. The deans of the Medical College of Georgia and Dental College of Georgia fully support the proposal and have agreed to all our requests, including a $30,000 annual funding for the service contract, in addition to faculty time. The technician?s time will be supported at 100% for 5 years by the active PPG award. Due to severe budgetary limitations, however, internal resources will not allow the purchase of a new machine without this funding mechanism. Recent advances in scanning technology resulted in the development of a new generation of Micro CT scanning machines, with very high resolution and low error comparable to scanners used in clinical practice. Furthermore, very high consistency and precision of measurement parameters and simpler user-interface are making micro-CT-derived three-dimensional skeletal morphometry the standard method for qualitative and quantitative analysis of bone. In summary, there is a critical need for this technology on campus, and the only way to acquire it is through the S10 mechanism. There is a significant number of NIH-funded investigators whose studies would suffer should the existing system fails permanently, which is only a matter of time. We have extensive expertise with this technology, and have developed a solid administrative structure and oversight for the core. Finally, the institution is in full support. Collectively, this award will be a worthwhile investment that serves the mission of the NIH. PHS 398/2590 (Rev. 06/09) Page Continuation Format Page